France Vacation, Tours, Travel Packages & Experiences

France in many ways is not just a country but a way of life. It has given the world its culture, its cuisine, its fashions and so much more. It has produced many influential artists, thinkers and scientists, and remains a prominent global centre of all things cultural. It possesses world-class art galleries and outstanding museums; it offers everything architecturally from ancient Roman sites to Renaissance Chateaux; its cuisine is legendary as is its wines and liqueurs. The sights, sounds and ambience are all there to devour on a France vacation.

About France

France is a republic and extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. From north-east to south-west, France shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra. It is one of only three countries (with Morocco and Spain) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. By area, France is the largest country in Western Europe and the third-largest in Europe. It hosts the world's fourth largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites (39 in total) and receives the most foreign tourists of any country in the world. French citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, civil liberties, and human development.

What are the top cities or places to visit?

Paris is France’s iconic capital. The centre of the city is in some ways an “open-air museum” with its ornate traditional-styled buildings and attractive wide avenues. The main thoroughfare, the Champs Elysees is essentially the epicentre of the city and is close to the Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris and the hard to miss Arc de Triomphe at one end. Paris boasts several excellent art galleries - the Louvre, which is the most visited art museum in the world, the Musee d'Orsay, a converted railway station mostly devoted to Impressionist paintings and the Beaubourg, dedicated to Contemporary art are just three. On trips to France, nothing beats sitting at a typical Parisian sidewalk café watching the world pass by. For lovers of both architecture and history, both can be found just outside the city on Paris tours with the beautiful and impressively extensive palaces and beautiful gardens of Versailles and Fontainebleau.

The French Riviera, also known as the Cote d’Azur is one of the most famous coastlines in the world and rightly so. It is sandwiched between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea and is so extensive that there are many large and small resorts to choose from on a France vacation, all extremely scenically attractive and alluring, stretching from just east of Marseilles to the Italian border. Nice is the Grand Dame of the Riviera, with its elegant Promenade des Anglais and its Picasso and Chagall Museums. Cannes is a sophisticated resort famous for its film festival. Monaco, although in a way, a separate entity, is home to casinos, sailboats and the Grand Prix. Other fashionable resorts include Juan-Les-Pins, home to celebrities and a vigorous nightlife, Antibes, with its old town, marina and excellent beaches, Saint Tropez, the chic resort popular with the jet-setters and on and on. Inland, a visit to Grasse will bring you to the centre of the French perfume industry.

Provence is a special region with much to offer on trips to France. Aix-en-Provence is a charming old town with narrow, atmospheric streets, a cathedral and the Cezanne Museum. Avignon is a historic city with medieval walls, its Palace of the Popes and of course, its legendary bridge which is incomplete. Arles has some important Roman remains including an amphitheatre and a necropolis and was the home of Vincent Van Gogh for a while. Nimes has the best collection of Roman remains in France with the well-preserved Roman Temple and an Arena still used even today for events. It also has an attractive old centre. One more city offering Roman monuments is Orange with its triumphal arch and ancient theatre. Marseilles, the oldest city in France, has a unique atmosphere and the Old Port is well worth a visit. It is, as an entity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Loire Valley, easily accessible from Paris, is home to a large number of superb chateaux with over 300 of them, dating from the 10th to the 16th Century, medieval towns such as Tours, Blois and Orleans plus it is a major wine producing region. Not far from here is Chartres Cathedral with its amazing and beautiful stained glass windows.

Brittany is a distinctly individual province, not unlike Devon and Cornwall in England in character, with its rugged coastline, undulating hills and valleys with wild moorland, stone-built villages and medieval towns and resorts such as St. Malo with its fortress and Dinard with its attractive beaches. Predating Stonehenge is Carnac, with its large collection of megalithic sites. Brittany is the home of the mouthwatering culinary item, the crepe to be experienced on trips to France.

Normandy is probably best known for its “wartime” beaches and the D-Day invasion by the Allied troops. They are today a memorial to the 2nd World War. But there is more to Normandy with its fashionable resorts such as Honfleur and Deauville. Bayeux is famous for its 900-year-old huge tapestries. Rouen is a very atmospheric medieval city with an outstanding gothic cathedral. Normandy also must not be forgotten for its production of cider and calvados.

French wine is recognized world-wide. There are many regions in France producing quality wines. However, the principal ones are Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Champagne regions, (the Loire Valley has already been mentioned). Burgundy stretches from just south of Paris to north of Lyons. The major cities in Burgundy are Dijon, Beaune and Macon. The region is responsible for the production of Chablis and Beaujolais. Bordeaux centres around its namesake, the charming city of Bordeaux, a place to spend some time in on France tours as well as visit the local vineyards to discover the delights of St. Emilion, Graves and Sauterne wines. The Champagne region is directly east of Paris. The genuine, official Champagne is strictly made only in this region.

When it comes to skiing in Europe, 4 countries usually come to mind, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France. France is second to none when it comes to quality, world-renowned ski slopes and resorts such as Chamonix, Val d’Isere, Alpe d’Huez and Courcheval, all easily accessible from Geneva.

There is even more to France that will delight the visitor on a France vacation. Vive La France may well be something one feels after a visit to this exceptional country.

"Globetrotting with Goway" blog articles

For some additional reading, the following articles are from our blog “”….. a great source of information for those people who are, or who want to be, world travellers!

Paris and Normandy by River Cruise

Discover Normandy on this incredible river cruise journey. Start in Paris, where you’ll tour the Louvre and see the famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower. Then join Ama Waterways for a river cruise through Normandy where you’ll tour medieval chateaus, visit the beaches of D-Day, and venture through a landscape made famous by Impressionist painters like Claude Monet.

How to Go

Spend time in two of the World’s greatest cites, London and Paris. Also get to know the English countryside with a day tour to Warwick, Stratford upon Avon, the Cotswold’s and Oxford and another tour to the gardens of Govern and the Palace of Versailles.

Get to know about 3 major European cities with both individual and guided tours. With the history and pomp of London to the sophistication of Paris and the quaint charm of Amsterdam, the many contrasts will bring you much enjoyment.

Sample earthy truffles, sip on exquisite wines, and savour the finer things in life on this journey through southwestern France. As you head throughout the region, you’ll enjoy Bordeaux’s gastronomic pleasures, travel across breathtaking landscapes of rivers and mountains, and see the enchanting castles and otherworldly caves that define the region.

Celebrate the holidays with a trip to three iconic Christmas markets in three different countries of Western Europe. Heading to Basel, Freidburg, and Colmar, you’ll savour Christmas treats and explore medieval old towns as you get into the holiday spirit in Switzerland, Germany, and France.

Follow in the footsteps of the Grand Tour, travelling from Paris to Milan on this sublime Europe vacation. Take in the sights and culture of some of the world’s great cities, and the spectacular natural beauty of the Alps.

An unbeatable combination - Royal London and Romantic Paris. With hop-on, hop-off bus passes in each city, you can decide what to see. Added to this are two full day tours, one to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath and the other to the Palace of Versailles.

Explore the highlights of Spain and the Mediterranean on this city and cruise combo. You’ll begin in Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona to experience the vibrancy of Spain before boarding a cruise ship and visiting Mediterranean highlights, from Naples and Rome to Florence and Cannes.

Stay in moderate accommodation, enjoy small group tours and find out why Nice is the second most visited destination in France. Not only is it physically attractive but the city has many other attractions historical and modern. Also enjoy a visit to the beautiful and unique Principality of Monaco.

Discover the City of Light on this affordable trip to France. Staying in moderate accommodations, you’ll enjoy a glimpse of Parisian bliss as you head between landmarks on a guided coach tour and skip the line at the Eiffel Tower. You’ll also have a Hop-On Hop-Off bus pass to explore the city at your leisure.

Sophisticated, historical cities, exceptional countryside and Alpine scenery are all part of this tour. You will visit 6 countries and 9 essential cities and resorts all very individual and different from each other. Why not immerse yourself in the unique culture of Western Europe.

Experience a wonderful cross section of countries and cites including vibrant Paris, a Swiss mountain resort, Venice and its canals, Munich with its colourful architecture, the romantic Rhine River, cosmopolitan Amsterdam and beautiful Bruges. This balanced itinerary shows the interesting contrasts of this exceptional continent.

Enjoy a journey which shows you the very best of Western Europe including sophisticated cities teeming with history and culture, colourful Mediterranean and Alpine scenery and so much more. Within three weeks, you will come to see why Europe is so diversified and alluring.

Embark on your own European Grand Tour on this ultimate ‘taster’ itinerary. Travel from London to Paris, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam, sampling the unique delights of each stop.

Really get to know Europe on this 10 country tour leaving from London. Within 28 days, you will experience the true multicultural flavour of this wonderful Continent including historic cities, Alpine mountain scenery, colourful canals, beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear lakes and much more.

Venture through the classical Provencal town of Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Impressionist painter Cezanne, on this journey to the south of France. Stay in first-class accommodations, visit the famous Luberon Villages on a small-group excursion, and explore the town at leisure.

Discover a city of art and culture, imposing medieval walls, Gothic architecture, and the historic Palais des Papes. Enjoy first-class accommodations and a city walking tour including skip-the-line access to the palace. You’ll also discover Orange and Chateauneuf du Pape and enjoy a wine tasting in this world-renowned wine region.

Discover France’s third largest city with its diverse architecture, interesting old buildings and wonderful café-filled boulevards. A visit here will show you there is more to France’s large metropolises than just Paris!

Explore one of the oldest cities in France on this city stay in Marseille. Stay in first-class accommodations and join small group tours that take you throughout the city and to nearby UNESCO-listed landmarks like the palaces of Avignon and the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard.

Soak in the sun and culture of France’s most popular vacation getaway on a four-day stay in the French Riviera. Staying in first-class accommodations in Nice, you’ll enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Mediterranean coastline and head on day tours of nearby Monaco and Cannes.

See the best of Normandy on a 5-day vacation exploring the medieval town of Bayeux, World War II battlefields and museums, and the breathtaking island abbey of Mont Saint Michel. This trip includes deluxe accommodations, all transfers, expert guides on private and small group excursions, and breakfast daily.

See the City of Light by coach, cruise and view from atop! Stay in first class accomodations and enjoy a panoramic city tour, boat cruise on the Seine, then skip the lines at the Eiffel Tower. Continue your cultural exploration as you head to Giverney and Versailles, two of France's most examples of artistic grandeur.

Explore the City of Light lit up in all its glory. Staying in a first-class accommodation, you’ll head on a nighttime tour of the city, seeing lit-up landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe and the Musee d’Orsay. The next night, take in a cabaret show at Crazy Horse, one of the hottest tickets in town.

A relaxing cruise meandering through the Burgundy countryside on a luxury hotel barge will introduce you a wonderful and interesting region of France. Enjoy visiting ancient Chateaux, quaint villages, renowned wineries and wine tasting plus much more while dining in style on board.